Is there an issue with Samsung TV streaming Netflix?
Is there an issue with Samsung TV streaming Netflix?
Hi
My Samsung TV can’t install a VPN app directly, but using the router (Asus RT BE92U) I can run a VPN through it. When I set the router to think the TV is in America, American shows appear on Netflix but don’t play. The same happens with my Firestick when I do the same.
On the other hand, installing the VPN app on the Firestick works perfectly and lets me see and play the shows.
I’m curious why the router method fails while the app method succeeds.
What could be the reason?
Advice would be greatly appreciated.
Hi
I tried the steps from the NordVPN support page you shared. It seems the US server I selected via the router might have been different from the one used in the Firestick app, yet the router method worked on my PC. I'm still trying to figure this out.
Thanks
I don't understand how the traffic would detect if a VPN was present in the path. The TV forwards all data to the router, which then routes it through the VPN. The TV doesn't have any awareness of the data transmission process—it only knows to send and receive from the router.
The only idea that comes to mind is that the traffic might be altered in some way before reaching the VPN. For instance, a browser could use a proxy service, which acts like a VPN, but certain games can't utilize proxies since they don't support HTTP. If the VPN is set up correctly, it should direct all traffic through the tunnel.
DNS settings can sometimes leak through a VPN. Ensure your router is using DHCP settings such as 8.8.8.8 or 1.1.1.1, or the VPN provider's DNS. Avoid default options that treat the router as a proxy for the ISP DNS server. Using a local ISP DNS might expose Netflix addresses based on your local service, which could be problematic if the VPN blocks those IPs.
It’s possible there’s an unusual issue with Netflix itself. I haven’t been able to figure out why they permit NordVPN but block others. They seem to have identified IP ranges used by competing providers and blocked access from them. This raises suspicion—since their stated reason for blocking VPNs is tied to contractual agreements with content providers, it might apply to all VPN services.
Thinking about this the netflix app itself can actually used any DNS server it want and even use hard coded IP addresses. Not sure if that is the case.
My next step which likely is not a option for you would be to place a switch in between the tv and the router that has the ability to mirror ports. I would then use something like wireshark so I could actually see the data being sent and see if it would give any clues.
Hi - this really clarifies things, the point being that obfuscated servers are only accessible through the NordVPN app and can't be used directly on a router, yet I'm still puzzled about how running the regular NordVPN server on my router lets me stream Netflix on my PC. As mentioned before, that's done via a browser, not the Netflix app. So perhaps it depends on the method - if you need the Netflix app, you must use an obfuscated server which requires the NordVPN app. If you prefer watching Netflix through a browser, any NordVPN server will suffice and you can access it via the router setup.